Book your preferred option and depart your Hanoi Old Quarter hotel by air-conditioned vehicle for Ninh Binh. Situated south of Hanoi, this largely rural province is studded with limestone karsts that rise over serene rice paddies and rivers.
Arrive at Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of Vietnam’s biggest temple complexes, and ride an electric cart around the ancient and new statue-filled temples to see highlights, including a huge 32-foot (10-meter) image of Buddha.
After a restaurant lunch of dishes, such as goat meat with elderberry, continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trang An, where the limestone karsts, interlaced with grottoes and cliffs, are at their most beautiful.
Board a shared, hand-rowed sampan for a cruise past emerald-forested cliffs and peaks and through mountain tunnels onto hidden rivers. Don’t forget your camera to capture the scenery.
Your tour finishes with a hotel drop-off in Hanoi.
